May 19, 2003
USM Arborist Wins Top Employee Award for Gorham Campus Work
John Waters, a resident of Sebago Lake and USM grounds supervisor,
is the 2003 recipient of the University of Southern Maine
Distinguished Classified Staff Award. The award is presented
yearly and recipients are nominated on the basis of their
commitment to USM, and then judged by a committee of their
peers.
Waters started work at USM on Monday, January 5, 1998; three
days later, the Great Ice Storm of 1998 hit Maine. Sixty-hour
work weeks became common as he struggled to protect campus
buildings and grounds. And all this, while his own home was
without power for two weeks.
And if that challenge weren't enough, in August of that same
year, the Gorham campus was hit by a tornado-like windstorm
(a microburst), just two weeks before the start of the semester.
John and his crew worked long hours to clean up the devastation
and make the campus safe for the return of students and faculty.
Today, the Gorham campus is the beneficiary of John's work
to overcome what many would have seen as impossible obstacles.
The USM Arboretum stands as testament to John's determination
to replace the devastation of plant life that occurred during
1998. John wrote a grant to the Maine Forest Service and was
awarded more than $180,000 to replace trees that had been
destroyed. As a licensed arborist, John has a deep knowledge
about trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers. He has worked tirelessly
with his crew to replace and care for new plantings.
His efforts in securing federal and state funds have allowed
the beauty of the Gorham campus to be enhanced with splashes
of color, aromas of fruit tree blossoms, and repaved walkways
and distinctive lamp posts. Alumni are particularly grateful
for John's work, as they see the Gorham campus restored to
the campus they remember fondly. His work has not only beautified
the Gorham campus for visitors today, but through the arboretum
has created a legacy that will continue to improve over time.
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